DATE: July 12, 2018 TO: Programs & Administration Committee FROM: Pat Cabrera, Administrative Services Director BY: Justin Lehrer, Senior Program Manager SUBJECT: Food Service Packaging, Litter and Marine Debris SUMMARY At its May 23, 2018 meeting, the WMA Board adopted a process and timeline for its fall Priority Setting, which will update guiding principles to inform the Agency’s focus, work plan and budget for the next two
- years. This report and presentation on food service packaging and marine debris is part of a series of
presentations to provide context and background for a thoughtful decision-making process. DISCUSSION Pollution associated with single-use plastics, including food ware (straws, cups, lids, utensils, takeout containers) and plastic bags has increased in prominence as an international environmental issue in recent years. Media coverage is at an all-time high, and has contributed to greater public awareness and desire to take action. There is greater pressure on the industries linked to the proliferation of single-use plastic items that often end up as contamination in compost, litter on land or in marine environments. Urgency of the issue has been buoyed by alarming data on the scale of the problem. A 2015 Ocean Conservancy/McKinsey study estimates greater than 80% of ocean plastic originates from land-based sources, and another study found that 60% of the land-based plastic in the ocean originates from five Asian countries. Locally, Clean Water Action’s Bay Area litter study identified that food and beverage packaging comprises a majority of the litter in our region. The issues related to single-use plastics are complex and lack a straightforward solution. There has been significant research and investment into compostable and other degradable plastics, but actual performance, certification/labeling, collection and processing remain fraught with challenges. Many items end up as contamination in the recycling and composting streams or become litter in the environment where they can break down into microscopic pieces, becoming increasingly toxic by absorbing contaminants from municipal and agricultural runoff. Wildlife mistake plastic pieces for food, which then passes plastics up the food chain. Alternative fiber-based food ware often contains harmful fluorinated compounds (PFA’s) that persist and can bioaccumulate in living organisms.